


Just Like Penguins

by buttons_n_bose



Category: Newsies - All Media Types
Genre: Best Friends in Love, Fluff, Gay Newsies, M/M, Modern Era, Sharing a Bed, cuddling for warmth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2020-04-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:40:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23457964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/buttons_n_bose/pseuds/buttons_n_bose
Relationships: Racetrack Higgins/Mush Meyers
Kudos: 7





	Just Like Penguins

“There’s good news, and there’s bad news. Which do you want first?”

Mush frowned. “Good news?”

Race turned to face him. “The good news is, we have a lovely view of the city.”

“Uh-huh.”

“The bad news is...there’s only one bed.”

Mush blinked. “Come again?”

“There’s only one bed,” Race repeated, opening the door to room 905 wider. Mush walked into the reasonably-sized hotel room, taking in the small kitchenette, the TV set, the table in the corner, the balcony doors, and the singular king-sized bed.

“Oh.” Mush rubbed the back of his neck. “We could...ask to switch rooms?”

“Sure. But who knows how long that’ll take?” Race glanced at the bed. “Besides, it’s a big enough bed. It should be fine.”

“Yeah.” Mush nodded. “Should be.”

Race smiled as he shut the door. He watched Mush claim the side of the bed closer to the window, leaving his bags at the side of the bed and sitting on it. Race put his bags on the other side before getting up onto the bed, leaning back against the headboard.

Honestly? He didn’t mind having one bed at all. He and Mush were friends, the closest friends they had. They’d been that way for years, and Race had started to wonder if there could be more there. Of course, once he had that particular thought, he hyper-fixated on it for weeks, analyzing every little thing Mush did and said towards him. And soon it became clear: Race had feelings for his best friend.

But it was fine. No big deal. They’d go away with time.

Time like this, staying in a hotel room overnight just to say they had a vacation without even leaving New York, while still having a bit of an adventure.

“...do you think?”Mush was asking.

Race brought his wandering thoughts back to the moment. “What?”

Mush laughed. “I asked if you thought we should go to the hotel restaurant for dinner, or somewhere around here.”

“Hotel restaurant. That’s part of the hotel experience.”

Mush nodded. “True. Let’s go.”

****

It was just past midnight. They’d watched several movies and eaten the junk food they brought. They were both ready for bed, sitting on top of the covers with a respectable distance between them.

“Can you turn up the heat?” Mush asked, crawling under the covers. “It’s freezing in here.”

Race walked to the thermostat, turning the dial. The number on the digital screen didn’t change. After a few more failed attempts, he turned around. “It’s broken.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Try again.”

“I did. You try.”

Mush pouted. “I’m already in bed.”

“Then you’ll have to take my word for it.” Race slipped under the comforter himself, pulling it up to his chin. “I’m sure it won’t be too cold.”

He was wrong. Nearly half an hour had passed and it was still freezing in their room, even after closing the window and the curtains.

“I’m going to be an icicle by morning,” Mush whispered.

Race laughed quietly. “You and me both.”

Mush pressed the ice-cold sole of his foot against Race’s leg, and the taller boy yelped as he pulled away. Mush laughed, bright and joyful.

“I hate you.”

“No, you don’t.” Mush grinned — at least, Race assumed he did. It was too dark to tell.

“No, I don’t.”

They lay in silence a little longer, their eyes mostly adjusted to the dark.

“Okay,” Mush said finally, “this might sound totally ridiculous, and you can absolutely say no and we’ll forget I ever asked.”

“No.”

“Shut up and let me ask.” Race heard a rustling sound as Mush rolled over to face him, though he continued to stare at the ceiling. “D’you want to stay close? For warmth?”

“Like penguins?” Race’s immediate response made him wince. Was that the best he could come up with?

“Do penguins do that?”

“Yeah. They cluster real close when it gets cold, ‘cause of the body heat.” Race cleared his dry throat. “So...you want to cuddle?”

“I didn’t say  _ cuddle _ ,” Mush said quickly. “Just...I don’t know. Stay close.”

“Right. Sure.”

There was more rustling as the two moved closer, shoulder-to-shoulder.

“This isn’t working.”

“No shit, Race. We’re barely touching.”

“Well,  _ sorry, _ ” Race drawled. “What’s your solution, then?”

There was a long pause, neither of them speaking or moving. Then, Mush’s arm was around Race’s torso, rolling him onto his side. Race barely processed what was happening before Mush had tucked himself against him, his head under Race’s chin and his arm holding him close.

“Like penguins,” Mush said quietly.

“Huh?” It took a few moments for Race’s brain to catch up with his racing heart. Once it did, he felt his body relax as he held Mush close. “Right, yeah, penguins.”

“They’ve got some good ideas. You think penguins ever hit on each other when they’re this close?”

Race laughed with uncertainty. “You think penguins hit on each other?”

“I would. Like...if I were a penguin, and I was snuggled up with this cute penguin I’d had my eye on for awhile but never felt brave enough to say anything, but now it’s dark and cold and we’re sharing a bed and I don’t seem to have any self-control.”

As Mush’s words soaked in, Race’s eyes widened. “You...wait, what?”

“Fuck, Race, I’m trying to tell you I like you.” Mush shifted a little, but didn’t pull away.

“Oh.” Race held him tighter, heart pounding in his ears. “I like you, too.”

“No, I mean...not to sound eight years old, but I  _ like  _ like you.”

“Well, I  _ like _ like you, too.” Deciding to take the leap, Race pressed a kiss to the top of Mush’s head.

Mush’s hold on Race tightened. “Oh, thank God.”

Race laughed quietly, eyes closing as a sudden wave of exhaustion washed over him. Mush said something he only half-comprehended, and he murmured his affirmation just before falling asleep, a small smile on his lips and the warmth of his best friend, his  _ everything _ , in his arms.


End file.
